Health centres
for urban poor

ARTI S.SAHULIYAR

This primary health centre in Kanke, Ranchi, will be renovated under the project. Telegraph picture

Ranchi, July 12: The state government has started work on the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to ensure basic healthcare facilities for poor living in different cities and towns across 14 districts.

The government has already identified 51 urban areas in these districts where primary health centres (PHCs) will be set up or renovated under the project that aims at meeting health needs of slum dwellers, migrated workers, m arginalised groups and others belonging to the disadvantaged segments of society.

Urban poor living at slums in Dhanbad, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, Ranchi, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Hazaribagh, Deoghar, Palamau, Giridih, Sahebganj, Koderma and Dumka districts will benefit from the project introduced as a sub-mission of the National Health Mission.

Speaking to The Telegraph this morning, director-in-chief (health services) Dr Sumant Mishra said last month, they held a meeting and directed deputy commissioners (DCs) and district health committees of the districts concerned to start the process. “As far as I know the work has started in most of the districts,” he said.

Mishra said the objective was to provide health services free of cost to urban poor who could not afford expensive medicines and healthcare.

As per the plan, which was announced by the Union health ministry in January this year, each primary health centre would have two doctors, a sahiya and an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM).

Also, under the initiative, a Mahila Arogya Samiti will be formed in slums to educate women and bring them to health centres.

“We hope all PHCs will be ready by the end of August. Civil surgeons, DCs and officials of district health committees are working on the project,” Mishra said.

Ashish Singhmar, new mission director of Jharkhand Rural Health Mission Society, said some of the slum areas already had PHCs, which would be upgraded under the scheme. And new centres would be constructed in areas that did not have any.

“We have already allocated a total of Rs 9 crore for the project,” he added.

According Singhmar, more doctors and paramedical personnel will be appointed to run the PHCs effectively.